Design Manager

Balfour Beatty plc; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Smart working options

25 days paid annual leave

Family friendly policies

Pension and share incentive plan

Job summary

Balfour Beatty plc is looking for a proactive Design Manager in Leeds to oversee civil engineering projects across East England. The role includes controlling the design process, ensuring compliance with Client requirements, and delivering innovative solutions. The ideal candidate has strong leadership skills, experience in early contractor involvement, and relevant professional certifications. The position offers flexibility with smart working, generous leave, and various benefits, ensuring a balanced work-life environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in delivering design services in a Work Winning environment.
• Hands-on experience with winning bids in a timely manner.
• Experience with NEC contract and current procurement forms.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and control the design process on projects across the East of England.
• Provide expert design input and develop cost-effective solutions.
• Ensure design and procurement activities meet Client and Employer Requirements.

Skills

Leadership in matrix organization

Interpersonal and communication skills

BIM knowledge

Microsoft Office proficiency

Numeracy and report writing

Education

Relevant Professional membership (e.g., ICE)

Valid CSCS card

Job description

About The Role

Step into a role where your leadership shapes the delivery of vital civil engineering projects across the East of England. Balfour Beatty’s Regional Civils division is seeking a proactive and solutions‑driven Design Manager to oversee and control the design process on schemes stretching from Teesside down to Lincolnshire. You’ll play a pivotal part in ensuring that all design and procurement activities meet Client and Employer Requirements, align with Contractor’s Proposals, and remain within agreed cost parameters.

Working closely with our Site Delivery teams, you’ll provide expert design input and develop cost‑effective, buildable solutions that keep projects moving efficiently and safely. If you’re ready to influence major infrastructure works and help drive excellence across the region, this role offers the platform to make a meaningful impact.

What you\'ll be doing

• Majority of projects will be Civil biased but with build elements, therefore someone with a building design and build background would be preferred.
• This role requires an individual with proven experience in delivering design services within a Work Winning / Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) environment and successfully implementing design strategies as well as relevant project experience.
• Leadership skills in a matrix organisation are required to deliver design services in a timely manner with a customer and business sector specific focus.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills are required, coupled with an ability to form effective relationships with partners under time pressure.
• The individual will know ‘what good looks like’ in tender submissions and would have hands on experience of delivering work‑winning bids in a timely manner and also experience of delivering design in production.
• Good working knowledge of BIM is required. The individual will have experience within the most current forms of procurement. Working knowledge of NEC contract is required.
• Relevant Professional membership with an appropriate institute, e.g. ICE aligned to the work stream is recommended. A valid CSCS card is a requirement.
• Excellent IT Skills relevant to the Business Stream are desirable and Microsoft Office is essential. Detailed knowledge of codes of practice and other regulatory material, applicable to the Business Stream.
• The individual should have a desire to continuously pursue innovation and development, with a focus on the customer and the relevant Business Stream.
• Numeracy and bid/report writing is a requirement.

Who we\'re looking for

• Results Driven: Demonstrates a passion and excitement for his/her work. Tackles problems head-on and works to resolve them without delay.
• Focus on Excellence: Willing to go the extra mile to exceed expectations. Continually searches for ways to add value and take performance to the next level.
• Teamwork & Collaboration: Puts aside personal agendas to work for the benefit of customers and suppliers and other stakeholders. Proactively builds knowledge through sharing knowledge, ideas and expertise with others.
• Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers. Actively collects customer information and uses it to improve services and solutions. Manages the experience of customers to ensure positive relationships are established and maintained.
• Operational Excellence: Plans and organises work to safely achieve maximum efficiency and output. Delivers results consistently.
• Adaptability: Learns quickly. Adapts positively to changing business and customer demands. Is energised by change.

Benefits

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata).
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave.
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more.

About Us

With a strong track record of delivery, our civils teams connect communities through infrastructure projects in the highways, public realm, rail, flood and coastal defence, and industrial sectors across England and Wales.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. We are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). We are committed to creating an inclusive culture and to supporting applicants from all backgrounds. For more info, visit: www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion

We are Disability Confident Employer and are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long‑term health conditions to remove barriers to employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at: [e-mail]